an Everlasting Pursuit

sixty five

"How's the plates looking, Serenity?" I called.

"Clean and shiny, Ailia." She hollered back.

I grinned, carrying the hot pan to a trolley. It was heavy and full of chilli, but I managed it with no one's help. Serenity moved to touch the pan, and I batted her away with my hip.

"It's hot." I glared at her. "You'll burn yourself."

She flushed, nodding quietly. It was nearing one o'clock, which meant serving time. I had spent all morning in the kitchen and barely recognised the time passing until Stephanie told me there was half an hour left. The elder woman had tried to keep me in check, but once she realised I knew recipes and what I was doing, she left me to it. I made my chilli recipe, along with rice and vegetables. There was also lasagne setting on the side from the left-over mince I had.

Everything was in bulk in this place, and I felt in over my head with joy. I don't think I've stopped smiling since I started.

Serenity seemed to be head of the serving party, making sure there were enough clean plates and cutlery to take out. She waited patiently as I placed the many dishes on the trolley. The big chilli pot took up most of the space, but I squeezed in a few lasagne's around it. Once full, Serenity gave me a wide smile before wheeling it out to the bain-marie.

Wiping my hands across my brow, I exhaled loudly. I hoped Serenity could handle it herself and waited patiently for her to come back with the trolley. After a longer pause than I expected, I couldn't wait much longer for her return and made my way into the dining room. My eyes locked on her instantly, placing the lasagne into their designated spots. The chilli remained on the tray and as I approached her, her eyes filled with relief.

"Want help with it?" I cocked my head.

"Please." She breathed, glancing around the room nervously.

Together we lifted the pot, Serenity grabbing a large spatula so she could push it into the right places. We filled six deep trays with the pan's contents, before wheeling it back into the kitchen. Together we carried all the remaining sides and vegetables, filling up the remaining trays as the pack slowly flooded in.

I was carrying a pot of corncobs to the buffet when a low growl reverberated around the room. Most wolves turned their heads toward the sound but going by the raising goosebumps that tickled my skin, I knew it was Asra. I smirked knowingly; he wasn't happy with something and I had the faintest clue of what that could be.

Ignoring his presence, I filled up one tray with the large pot of corn. There were around twenty trays on this buffet, enough to feed the entire pack. I think Stephanie said we fed one hundred and twenty-two people in total, but most didn't attend mid-week lunch time. Some wolves had their own homes or cabins dotted around the land, mainly those older or with children; another thing was there were no children under twelve here.

The humans lived in their own cabins, unwelcome in the pack house, it seemed. I heard servers whisper how there were little wolves today, excited chirps of being able to take any leftovers. It made my heart ache, which only made my confidence at pissing Asra off soar.

"Ailia..."

Speak of the devil.

I lifted my gaze from the corn, seeking him out from the crowd. Asra was walking toward me, his eyes shadowed with anger. His shoulders were bunched, fists clenched at his sides, and I grinned, ready for his attention.

"Yes?" I hummed.

"What are you doing?" He snapped.

"Helping." I snorted, gesturing to the vegetables. "What else?"